Karen Lubell asked about the political usage of _slimed_. The earliest
occurrence yielded by a Westlaw search is an op-ed piece by David Nyhan in
the Boston Globe, Dec. 3, 1987. Nyhan wrote, "Ted Kennedy ... knows
something about running for president, and even more about getting slimed
by the press."

The second earliest occurrence I can find is in U.S. News & World Report,
June 20, 1988: "If [House Speaker Jim] Wright were a ghostbuster, he'd
say he's been slimed. But as the new sleaze pinup for the GOP, he can't
say much of anything."